Stocking on the Tilton and Skate Creek

I know a lot of people come down this way to fish both of these streams, and I was wondering if anybody has any real heartburn that they are not going to continue stocking trout in these streams. I tend to avoid these two fisheries because of the hatchery fish, so, I'm really indifferent about it.

I don't fish for put & take stocker trout, so I wasn't aware of a plan to discontinue stocking. Probably a good idea for the Tilton since it's doing pretty well as an anadromous stream now. I wonder what TP is going to do in regard to that part of their mitigation responsibility.

I think the evidence is pretty strong, that stocking a stream decreases the number of trout in the stream. Yellowstone Park and Montana figured it out over 50 years ago. We catch on fast on the west coast!

they pretty much made that section of the river into a kiddie pool, then a snag fest when they dump the salmon in. I liked to think of it as a good place to take a newbie. you can catch so many fish its boring if you stand at the pool where they dump them. Plus Its funny to watch the fuzz bust the poachers with 60 plus fish. Fishing and a show.

I know a lot of people come down this way to fish both of these streams, and I was wondering if anybody has any real heartburn that they are not going to continue stocking trout in these streams. I tend to avoid these two fisheries because of the hatchery fish, so, I'm really indifferent about it.

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I used to fish that alot with my Dad as a young kid. I tried taking my kids there when they were very little. I remembered what I hated about fishing up there, STOCKING DAY! And usually the couple weeks after. People used to camp just near that slide off that logging road. They'd rape the crap out of those fish. Wish we had the net back then and stocking days, so we knew when to avoid it. We'd eventually start traveling around different spots of the Tilton. Had a great time wet wading up and and downstream of some of the areas there. Caught some damned nice fish, especially downriver. I think it's probably a good thing it's being stopped. Most of the fish my Dad and I caught were pretty big and seemed to have been in there awhile. Plus, it seemed if you actually walked (which it seemed the stocking crowd wouldn't), you'd get into some nice quiet holes to fish for awhile. Not sure anymore. I've actually drove over the Tilton a few times heading to Morton and have thought of running back in there with some small trout rods.

So what's the problem with stocking some of these streams that don't connect to saltwater anyway, they stock lakes? It would actually be nice to dip a line and catch a triploid in a stream instead of a lake. Is it because of the native small trout in them already? I suppose.

thats what I think Larry,I wish they would find more already fishless streams to stock. I think that would be more fun than watching an indicator from a float tube. But I have caught really nice wild cutthroat up to 14 inches or so, just down river a mile or two downstream from the pool, they seemed healthy to me. Most of the fish they dump in are caught, mortally wounded by all the loose gear and baited hooks in the water (which I think is a bigger issue than the stocking itself) or they just dont survive, the rest probably settle in just fine.
My understanding was that The stocking of trout in this river was privately done and due to a dam that was put down stream and blocked passage. It could be some sort of rumor, but I heard from someone that whoever put the dam there were contractually obligated to stock a certain amount of fish every year which included quite a few king and coho salmon that are trucked over from the cowlitz.
Kinda sad to watch all the salmon coloring up, sitting in the pools for weeks, getting bare 2/0 octo hooks ripped through them. So I will be glad to see that end. And if the wild fish make some sort of big comeback then this may be a very cool trout stream in the near future.

My understanding was that The stocking of trout in this river was privately done and due to a dam that was put down stream and blocked passage. quote]

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This is true, Tacoma Power funds the stocking in conjunction with WDFW. But the reason (as i understand it) for stopping the stocking is to protect the "anadromous" steelhead in the river, fish that they truck up from Blue Creek and dump in Morton and Packwood. Ending stocking will bring the streams in line with the WDFW Statewide Steelhead Management Plan. Like I've said before, I'm indifferent, but I don't see how they can call the steelhead in the Tilton or Skate Creek "anadromous".

If any of you were fishing in these Washington State waters 30 years ago, you would know that they stocked a lot of skinny waters then. The people would follow the stock trucks and then they would fish the hell out of the water until they tried to clean it out. Salmon eggs and worms were the peoples choice for bait. The fish would disappear from the waters but I believe that most headed for the salt.

If any of you were fishing in these Washington State waters 30 years ago, you would know that they stocked a lot of skinny waters then. The people would follow the stock trucks and then they would fish the hell out of the water until they tried to clean it out. Salmon eggs and worms were the peoples choice for bait. The fish would disappear from the waters but I believe that most headed for the salt.

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Yup, that's what I was talking about, about same timeframe (33ish years ago). Dad and I bipassed the Tilton like the plague on those days.